3 Acclaimed Chefs to Judge CBS’s New Cooking Competition Show

Three acclaimed chefs are coming to CBS.

Padma Lakshmi, Michael Cimarusti, and Wylie Dufresne have been tapped to judge the Eye Network’s newest cooking competition series.

In America’s Culinary Cup, premiering on Wednesday, March 4 with a 90-minute episode, the three will judge an exclusive lineup of the country’s most elite chefs in the “ultimate culinary battleground.” The official logline reads, “Chefs will be tested against the competition’s 10 culinary commandments – meat, vegetables, sauces, dessert, innovation, flavors, sustainability, world cuisine, consistency, culinary science and technology – the very principles that define greatness in the kitchen. Cimarusti and Dufresne bring their unique perspectives to evaluate taste, creativity, presentation, and technique, determining who advances, who is eliminated, and who ultimately masters the commandments to win America’s Culinary Cup and claim the biggest cash prize in culinary history – $1 million.”

Lakshmi is best known for hosting Top Chef from 2006 to 2023 and also created, hosts, and executive produces the Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. For her work on both shows, she’s received 16 Emmy nominations. Additionally, Lakshmi has written five books. As for Cimarusti, he is a three-Michelin-starred chef and the executive chef and co-owner of Providence, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary last year and was one of two restaurants in LA to receive Michelin’s highest distinction of three stars in 2025. He’s appeared on shows such as Top Chef, MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, and Mind of Chef.

Dufresne rose to fame with his ground-breaking New York City restaurant, wd-50, where his innovative science-driven approach to cooking helped redefine American cuisine. He’s had three decades in the restaurant business, and has received a Michelin star, a top spot on New York Magazine’s Best Restaurants list, and a James Beard Award for Best Chef New York. TV appearances include Treme, Billions, and The Bear, and he’s also been parodied on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. Dufresne released his first cookbook in 2017.

America’s Culinary Cup will be hosted and executive-produced by Lakshmi. Additional guest judges and chefs will be announced soon. The 90-minute series premiere of America’s Culinary Cup airs on Wednesday, March 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, following Survivor 50. New episodes will stream the following day on Paramount+.